Heart Of The Lion
by RWBRyan
Summary: "Rose Weasley...I love you." When Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy finally confess their love to each other, they find comfort they thought impossible to have. But the events that follow will test their love beyond anything they could have imagined.
1. Love Thy Enemy

Chapter 1: Love Thy Enemy

Night...

It was the darkness. It was the sweet covering of the daylight. It served as the mask for the creatures of the darkness, the night. It brought out the worst things in existence, the demons and monsters. But it also brought things out as well. Night was the traditional time of love, of passion. To bask in the moonlight with your lover, to feel their flesh beneath your fingers as you held them, that was the sweetest gift of them all.

But it was one that Scorpius Malfoy was not allowed...

He loved the night. It was so soft to him. Many feared it, but he embraced it. It shielded him from the horrors of the daylight. yes, there were those that hid within it, and many were worse than anything the night ever produced. Scorpius was a lover of the darkness, the night's shield was for him. It protected him from the world, held him to her black breast. And while many students would be sleeping, he would dare to venture out into the castle's dark corners, exploring the blackness. Filch the elderly watchman, could never catch him even if he tried, so fast Scorpius conditioned himself to be.

But it was that one thing that he could not have, that he could not explore within the castle. in fact, it was not the castle itself. It was her...

The same girl he had seen with her parents, all those years ago, when he had been first preparing for this school...

That fiery red hair...those eyes...

Rose Weasley. The daughter of his family's sworn enemy. It was like some magical version of Romeo and Juliet, though he had never been able to even say more than a few words to her, so scared he was that he would mess up. But he had seen her staring at him on several occasions, and had not stopped her by glancing back at her, but allowed her to watch him, loving the feel of her eyes on him, almost as if it was a caress, but that would have been going to far.

By the gods...what was he thinking...

He could never approach this girl. His father had made it clear that he would like Scorpius to be a better man then he was, but that would have been taking it a step too far. And his grandfather would surely go so far as attempt to kill him as a blood traitor to the Malfoy family name if he ever found out about the love Scorpius had for the Weasley girl. Scorpius contemplated this as he made his way to the top of the tower.

The Astronomy tower was his favorite place to be at night. If he could, he would very much stay there then in his usual common room. Here was the open sky, the fresh air. He was not surrounded by the snoring and petty grumbles of his house mates. Here he was...free.

He reached the top and walked over to the railing. He looked out at the surrounding countryside, loving it's silvery glow in the moonlight of the full moon. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. The memory of his first day came to him as he did so, and he basked in it's warmth...

_The frightened first years walked into the large hall, surrounded by hundreds of strange and rather frightening people. Though they were welcomed by smiles and gestures of friendship, there was nothing more scarier to an eleven year old than to walk into a the biggest area they had ever seen and be looked at by so many people._

_Scorpius was in the middle of the pack, surrounded by what seemed like equally scared classmates. He knew what legacy he had in his line. And it was not a pleasant one at all. His grandfather had often told him that the house of Slytherin was the only place for people like them, purebloods as he said. Scorpius did not understand the need. Blood was blood. It flowed in everyone the exact same way, through the exact same veins. Scorpius always considered the heart to be where true purity was, but he was always to scared to voice this to his grandfather._

_His father was a bit more lenient. He told him to simply do well, and to make sure he honored his family line, no matter what house he was selected to serve in. His mother said things along the same lines, and so Scorpius was walked with as much confidence as he could muster, though this faded in the light of what was happening._

_The teacher, Professor Longbottom, began to read off names, and one by one, each student walked over and put the strange talking hat on. The first was Albus Potter. The hat was placed on him and it gave a resounding laugh._

_"Well there, there be no need for debate here. Gryffindor!"_

_There was a resounding clap and a cheer, and the reddish golden table stood up to welcome him. he sat there, and looked as though he was about to pass out from the relief that was no doubt gushing through him. Several others were called up, and they were sorted into their houses as well, a good mixture of the four._

_"Rose Weasley!"_

_That girl he had seen at the station, the one he had not been able to take his eyes off of, sat on the stool. The hat was placed in her, and it gave a chuckle. It did not even mutter any words or small talk._

_"Gryffindor!"_

_She sat with her classmates. The crowd around him dwindled more and more. Until finally he alone, out of all of them stood there, with every single eye looking at him._

_"Scorpius Malfoy?" Professor Longbottom asked._

_"Ye..Yes sir..." Scorpius chirped out in an undignified voice. Longbottom chuckled and beckoned him forward. He walked to the stool and sat down, the hat placed above him. The was silence for a long while, and Scorpius tough he was surely going to pass out right there. Then the hat let out a thoughtful hum._

_"I have seen your family before, and they have all gone to the house of Slytherin."_

_Scorpius closed his eyes. He did not care what house he was sorted in. As long as this whole process was through with._

_"But there is something different about you. I cannot quite place it. But there is something that sets you apart from them...but what could it be...?"_

_Dear gods, Scorpius thought. Let this be over quickly..._

_"That's it..." the hat mumbled._

_What was it?_

_The hat said nothing else. Only one word._

_"Gryffindor!"_

_He had been sorted into the complete opposite house of his forefathers. Scorpius slowly walked over to the table and sat down, shell shocked at what had happened. Gryffindor? How? He had been from a line of Slytherins as far back as the Malfoy line stretched. He had the blood of Slytherins in him..._

_Why would he end up in the completely opposite house...?_

He was snapped out of his memories by the sound of a scraping foot along the floor. He whirled around to find a shudder of movement walking toward the top of the tower, from his perch atop the stairs. He had no way of getting down there unseen, and so he fled into the shadows of the corner of the room, crouching down to blend into the merciful darkness. He waited for the person coming up to come to the top. And she appeared.

It was her. Rose Weasley had come to the top of the Astronomy Tower, for reasons that perplexed Scorpius./ She had never come here while he was here. In fact, no one ever did. He was always free with his thought here, free as the open sky that it reached into. But now Rose had come into that space, and Scorpius wanted to know why. He stayed in his crouched position, and watched her approach the railing, staring out into the sky.

She was crying? Why would she be crying? He had never before seen so strong willed girl in his life. She had stood up to the bullies of Slytherin, outsmarted Ravenclaw students, and been more compassionate than the Hufflepuffs. And she had had a stout heart as she did so. Why would she be crying here, in the middle of the night?

Angels shouldn't cry...he struck that thought from his mind the moment it came to him. It wouldn't do good for him to think that of her. What would his family think? his grandfather was still upset after these years...but she was an angel.

She stared out at the sky and the grounds, the tears flowing down her cheeks and soft sobs coming from her throat. Scorpius strained to hear if she would be mumbling anything that would reveal why she was crying, but she was content to simply mourn for whatever reason she was feeling. She sucked in her breathe and swallowed her tears for the moment.

"Why?" She asked the night. Scorpius risked moving a little closer to hear.

"Why does it have to be this way? Why do you have to be so cruel?"

Cruel? Who was cruel to Rose...if he found out who they were, he would secretly arrange to have them feel what the very definition of pain was. Rose continued.

"I have passed everything here with flying colors, surpassed even my own mom in several areas. I have done everything I can to honor my parents...so why must you be so heartless? Why must you make me fall?"

Fall? What did she mean by that?

"Of all of them...of every single boy in this whole school...why does it need to be him? Can you answer me that? Why he has to be the one I look at? Why he must be the one I feel so much for, even though I cannot bear myself to have more than a few words with him?"

Was she...was she in love with someone? Scorpius was in love with her...he could no longer deny it. To hell with his family, he knew what was within his heart. Who was this that Rose loved. Just as much as he swore he would find what it was that was making her world so painful, he would see to it that she found the man she was wanting, for this girl deserved as much.

She was looking up at the sky now. Staring up at something that he could not see from his position. But she looked up at the sky with tear filled eyes, and despite that, a smile crossed her face, a smile that could melt the heart of the coldest man, provided it were still beating.

"Scorpius..."

Did she just say his name? Did she just say his name?

"Why is it you...?"

Was she...by the gods...was she confessing to herself that she was in love with him? In love with the same person that her family had gone to war with not one generation past? The wounds would not have healed so soon, this could not possibly be so. No Weasley would ever love a Malfoy, not after the war.

But then again, a Malfoy could love a Weasley, for he himself had just confessed that to himself, if not in the dramatic flair that Rose was doing now.

"How could it be you?" she asked, and Scorpius realized that she was looking up at the constellation that he had been named for. That had to be it. Was she looking at his constellation and believing that it was indeed him? That was it, he could not hold back any longer. He slowly stood up. But as he did so, he knocked into one of the telescopes, alarming the girl. She whirled around, her wand in her hand before he could say a word. But instinct had blessed him with skills of his own as well.

Weasley sent a stunning charm at the noise, and before the bolt could hit him, Scorpius summoned a shield in front of himself, taking the blow of the spell. In front of him, Rose was in a defensive stance, braced to move in a second's notice.

"Who's there!" She demanded. Scorpius slowly stepped out from the shadows, his wand in his hand, though his hands were slightly parted in a gesture of truce.

"Easy there, Rose. It's just me."

Recognition traced her features. She slowly lowered her wand, but maintained her position. Scorpius slowly approached her, keeping his wand in her field of vision to calm her nerves.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I always come up here at night. I like it here."

She nodded and then slowly put her wand back. Scorpius walked next to her and looked out at the stars. In an attempt to keep her here for just a moment longer, he invited her over to star-gaze with him.

"I always liked looking at those," He said. Rose nodded, moving a little closer to him. He pointed out some of the more harder to see constellations, and remarked on a little of their history.

"You do know quite a bit about the stars."

"A lot of my family is named after them."

Rose nodded and turned back to the stars, but she seemed a little nervous. No doubt she was wondering if he had overheard her little talk with herself. He was till playing it over and over within his mind, trying to think about how to word his revelation to her. He could not deny it any longer. His Malfoy heart was hers. To fight it any longer could cause pain unimaginable to him right now. He needed to say it to her. But how to word it?

"Rose, I've kinda got a question for you?"

"Yeah Scorpius?"

"Do you think...well, your bloody brilliant and all...so I was wondering if you thought that it was possible that something like...let's say, Romeo And Juliet...could indeed be possible?"

Rose tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

Scorpius sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. He was trying to "drop the hint" without full out saying it.

"Do you believe that love can override any and all logic?"

"Of course. Love is not logical. It is a powerful force that cannot be measured."

Scorpius nodded.

"Why are you asking me this, Scorpius?"

How to say it? How does he confess that he was in love with her? There was the simple blunt way of saying it. But he would never have the guts to say it, Gryffindor or not. So how does he word it?

"Well, you see Rose, there is this girl..."

Rose suddenly let out a wide smile.

"Are you saying your in love?"

"Well, I think I am. But I am worried that she may not love me..."

Rose had just confessed to herself that she loved him, as he heard from the shadows. He was surprised that she was not acting nervous or anything, as if he had heard it. But she may just have that stoicism in her that he did not. Rose always was very collected, something he envied.

"Well, the just tell her how you feel then. I'm sure she'd understand."

"I am not worried about that. I'm worried about what my family would do if they knew I loved her."

"Don't worry about them. If they love you then they will accept it."

Scorpius nodded. Rose had told him what he needed to do. Now he just needed to do it and hope to Merlin for the best.

"Rose, there is something I have been meaning to tell you for...quite some time..."

She cocked and eyebrow and turned to face him fully. Scorpius gave a very undignified swallow and continued.

"I have...well, ever since I came to know you better...let's say that you are a very special girl..."

"Scorpius, what are you trying to say?" Her voice sounded nervous now, almost as if she were suddenly realizing what he was about to say.

"Rose Weasley...I love you."

There was a silence that would have put the grave to shame. Rose looked at him for a moment in a complete deer-in-the-headlights look. Scorpius swallowed. And then he swallowed again. He had never been as nervous as he was now in all his seventeen years. Rose opened her mouth to say something, but she could not seem to force the words out. Scorpius took a step back, as he had seen girls do this before virtually exploding. He braced for the attack, but to his surprise it never came.

"You love me...?" She asked in a low whisper, so quiet that Scorpius barely could hear it.

"Yeah...for quite a while now...I just can't understand why but...I have never felt anything for anyone quite like you..."

She swallowed like him and and licked her lips. Scorpius decided it was time to leave. He knew she would have a hard time to grasp this. He had heard her talk to herself, but this was noticeably a tense time for them both and he felt that maybe he had said enough. He smiled at her as she tried to speak.

"Rose, you don't need to say anything. We can talk about this later. It's late..."

he turned to leave, feeling...different. he could not describe what he was feeling but it was a very different feeling than when he first got here, after hearing Rose confess about him to the stars. He heard her confess that she loved him. That was enough for him. They could setle it later.

He was almost near the steps down when he heard her call his name. It was low and soft, but he heard it loud and clear. He stopped and turned to face her.

"Yes Rose?"

She stared at him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she spoke.

"Did you hear what I said out loud?"

Simple question. It deserved a simple answer.

"Yes...yes I did."

Rose suddenly burst forward in a fast walk toward him. Her expression was still unreadable, but Scorpius was braced for whatever may happen. People tended not to walk that fast unless they were angry about something. Rose closed the distance between them faster than he though her capable of. Scorpius expected a slap or a harsh report due to his inadvertent hearing. But what he did not expect was the sudden kiss.

Yes, he did not expect anything like that. But Rose promptly marched right up to him and kissed him. His eyes shot open and he saw her's had closed as she pressed her lips upon his. But the surge of pleasure running through him overtook him and he slowly closed his eyes. The girl's lips were cold, probably from the night air. But his heart exploded in a fury of warmth that equaled nothing he had ever felt.

They broke apart for a moment, for sheer lack of air. Rose opened her eyes slightly and gave a small smile. Scorpius smiled back at the red-haired angel.

"I guess that's your answer?" He asked.

"Something along those lines," She replied.

Their lips came together again, and Scorpius felt her hand wrap around his neck, and he reached up and tenderly stroked her cheek, feeling the warmth of her flesh despite the chilly night. Rose whimpered and pressed against him tighter, pressing her body tightly against his. Scorpius slowly reached around and held her waist. They broke apart several times again, only to crash together once more.

What they were doing was forbidden. Their family's were at war several decades ago, and tensions between their parents may have somewhat lessened, but never to this degree. There could be no forgiveness for what they were doing right there in that tower, but to them, the world, in all it's cold and darkness, was warm. For just that moment, they were feeling peace.

They broke apart for the final time. Brown eyes looked into cold gray ones. The eyes of two teens who had grown up hearing only the deeds of their parents, and how they should not trust each other, met and locked. They stared into each other for a long time, not moving and barely breathing. There was only a silent transition, of something that no one could explain, running between the two of them.

"We really...we really need to get back..." Rose said.

"Yeah...we should..."

"Scorpius..."

"Yes?"

"Meet me here tomorrow night...about an hour after lights out."

Scorpius nodded.

"All right then. Go on ahead. I'll be back in just a few minutes."

Rose nodded and caressed his cheek one last time before disappearing into the blackness of the stair case. Scorpius listened to her footsteps fading, and then looked out back into the vast, dark sky. He was surprised to see the stars twinkling better than ever, and they were brighter than he had ever seen them. He smiled, thanking fate for being so merciful to him on this cold night...

The next day was a blur of nothingness. It was Friday and so everyone was excitedly jabbering over what activities they would do over the weekend. But Scorpius's mind kept traveling back to last night in the tower, feeling Rose Weasley's lips against his. he felt himself feeling his lips when thinking about that moment, and quickly cut the habit after he was asked about it.

He did not see Rose anywhere. He did not know what she was up to, but he had a feeling that whatever it was, he might end up liking it. Strike that, he _would_ like it. Everything he had see that girl attempt, she had succeed at. Except for Quidditch, in which she was not all that interested, she excelled. She was just like her mom, he had heard others say. But when they talked about him, they always said it in hushed whispers, not wanting him to hear. He knew what they were saying.

Why did they judge him by his forefathers? Was the sins of the father the sins of the son? Was he not a free boy, free from his father's past deeds? Must he be so strangled by his ancestry? The world was a cruel place to be, but there were those glimmers of warmth, and Rose had given him one of those last night. Why had she asked him back there tonight he did not know. He was going to go up there anyway, as he often did. What did she have planned?

The day ticked onward at an agonizing pace. he found himself pacing, as his fellow students ran out at the end of the school day to have what fun they may. He forced himself to sit in the chair for a while, his eyes staring into the fire. He played with his hands, and then his robes, before finally giving up and going back to pacing. He mind was full of Weasley's brown eyes.

Finally, the call for students to get to bed was rung out, and the common room emptied, Scorpius staying in his chair, lost n thought. No one bothered him as he sat there, and he did not wish to bothered so. He simply ticked the minutes off the clock, waiting for the magic hour after curfew. And then he got up and left through the portrait. Checking to make sure his way was clear, he slowly made his way to the tower.

He entered the tower and slowly walked up the stairs, each step resounding in the quiet gloom. He reached the top and glanced at the edge, to see the figure of Rose standing there, looking out into the landscape. He slowly began to approach.

"Why did we fall?" She asked, her back still to him.

Scorpius froze on the spot. he had no answer for her.

"I don't know..."

"A bigger question would be how we fell."

"What do you mean fell?" He asked her. She chuckled, her back still to him.

"In love, you silly boy."

"Oh. To be honest, I do not think we fell."

She turned around to face him, and he saw her eyes fixed upon him once more, and found himself drowning in them. Rose was an extremely beautiful girl. He felt that if there was only one face to see for the rest of his life, it was that one.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Scorpius slowly walked up to her until he was nose to nose.

"I think...that we jumped."

She turned completely around, and took a deep breathe. Scorpius did the same, and their lips met. The passion of the previous night was relit as they slowly wrapped each other up in embrace. Scorpius buried himself in her red hair, and she in turn locked her face into his chest. They held each other and rocked in unison. Rose softly was muttering to herself, and Scorpius swore he heard her say "love" in her speech.

He lifted her head up once more and kissed her deeply. Their eyes were closed and their hearts were on fire. Rose slwoly peeled away from him and looked him in the eyes, sending something to his consciousness that instructed him, told him what she wanted. And he complied with her silent plea.

Slowly, he reached down and raised her shirt up slowly and then completely took it off. Her skin was somewhat pale, yet so warm when she laid it upon his now bare upper torso. She attacked his face more passionately now, and they slowly descended to the ground, holding each other tightly.

They did not attack each other with a passion that had been long subdued, even if that had been the case. No, they held each other with utmost tenderness, for both had now found something that gave them peace, and Scorpius felt that if he held her to tightly, she might break beneath him. Their naked bodies moved together rhythmically, the scene lit only by the moonlight. Rose's face was flushed as the heat of the moment reached it's climax, and her hands gripped Scorpius's back and her fingers dug in. Her head was leaned back, exposing her neck, which Scorpius placed soft kisses upon as he reached the moment of climax.

After they had satisfied their most primal urges, they laid there with each other, allowing each other to simply feel the body of the one they now loved more than anything. They cuddled together, their arms around each other, and her head resting on his shoulder. Scorpius thought he felt tears from her eyes, and leaned back to look into them. yes, she was indeed crying.

"Rose...what's wrong?"

"Nothing...it's just...I don't know how our parents will think when they find out about us...because they will find out..."

Scorpius shook his head.

"As you said Rose, if they love us, they will see that this makes us happy. That we make each other happy."

Rose sniffled.

"And what if they don't...?"

Scorpius gave her a look of fierce fire, a look of a guardian.

"Then to hell with them. I love you Rose Weasley. Nothing is going to change that. Not them, not your uncle and my grandfather, not even fate itself. My heart...is yours."

Rose looked into his eyes as he spoke, and her lip slightly trembled. The moment he finished, she slowly leaned in, and the next few minutes were lost in each other once more...


	2. The Air So Cold

Chapter 2: The Air So Cold

The end of the school year would not be far off now. The final year for the two students had been a long and somewhat difficult one, for all that was expected of seventh years. But it warmed up quite a bit in those final weeks. Those final weeks had been the most magical Scorpius thought he had ever had. Not even the first time he stepped through the gates of the castle did he feel so alive. Rose was standing again at the railing of the tower. Their tests had been completed earlier that day, and their last lovemaking had been done now for several minutes. She had dressed herself and walked back to the edge, looking out as they both did so often now.

"I'm going to miss this place."

"Yeah. I don't think we'll ever find any place quite like it."

Scorpius walked next to her and breathed in the air. The air around the castle always seemed different than the air anywhere else. it was a silly, small thing to notice, but he always seemed to notice and like the smallest thing about something. Rose's hand found his as they watched the light of the moon cast it's glow over the hills and the lake. it was silver in it's light.

Scorpius took a deep breathe, but Rose sniffled again. She was a much more sensitive girl than Scorpius thought she was. And they both had worried about what would happen when Hogwarts let out for the year. Their parents were not on good terms with each other, due to the events that took place during their own school years. Rose seemed lost in thought for several minutes.

"There has to be a way to be..." she droned off. Scorpius knew what she was thinking, and nodded.

"I know. I might be able to get away from my father sometimes, tell him I'll be in Diagon alley or something like that."

Rose chuckled darkly.

"Our parents are anything but stupid Scorpius. They'd know something was up. I might be able to fool my father for a while, but my mum would see right through me."

Scorpius forgot just who her mother was. She would probably be the bigger threat to their secrecy than his father, and his father had a knack foir finding these things out in the first place. The odds were stacked against them rather steeply. But there was something else.

"Rose, remember what you said to me, a while ago?"

Rose gave him a quizzical look.

"About how are parents will accept it if they love us."

She nodded, and then turned back to the scene.

"But I am not sure if they'll let us be together, at least for a while. My mother is rather protective, and my father hates yours with a strong passion."

Scorpius nodded.

"Why do I get that Romeo And Juliet tone going on right now?" He asked in a joking manner, which worked, as Rose chuckled.

"Maybe because we just walked right into our own little version of it."

They enjoyed moonlight for a while longer, Rose laying her head on Scorpius's shoulder. They both closed their eyes for a long while taking comfort in the image of their lover, more beautiful to them than even the mountains before them.

Finally though, they must inevitably depart this tower for the last time, and return to the world outside the school for good. Scorpius withdrew and took Rose's hands in his. Rose looked into his gray orbs and he gazed into her brown chocolate eyes. They both tried to burn that image into each others mind, the eyes of each other.

"Rose...I will try everything in my power to see you as much as possible. I don't think we should tell our parents just yet. I don't think that's a good idea right now, but after a few months or so, we might be able to open up to them. Until then, we might keep this whole thing secret.

Rose seemed to contemplate this for a moment, and then nodded.

"I don't know how my dad or mum would react if they knew I was in love with their school day's worst enemy's son...and doing him..."

"Doing him?" Scorpius asked, honestly confused at not having heard that term. Rose blushed.

"Well...you know..."

"Oh..."

The day died out. The Hogwarts Express would be coming along, as well as the last time they might see each other for a few weeks. Rose and Scorpius stayed near each other during the whole process of packing, and getting ready to walk down the staris away from the tower that had been their home for the past seven years. They would actually leave a little sooner than the others, and the seventh year's parents were invited to ride the train back with them.

Professor McGonagall conducted the last ceremony, calling each of their names to get up and join their parents on one side of the hall. one by One, each of them left their house table and stood with their parents at the end of the hall. Rose was called and stood up, slowly walking toward her parents. She caught Scorpius's eye and smiled, though she made sure it was seen as a smile of accomplishment, and not at anyone particular.

Scorpius was a little more confident with his walk, but that really was just in the Malfoy genes, according to popular opinion. He did not look at anything but the way he was going, but he tried to see Rose in his peripheral vision as hard as he could, and he did, watching her from the corner of his eye. He could not help but smile as well, and hope that Rose knew just who that smile's true recipient was.

He sat with his mother and father flanking him, and when the ceremony was over, the large group was proceeded outside onto the grounds one last time, where they were allowed to throw their wizard caps into the air. Scorpius's father hugged him and he returned it, then receiving a second hug from his mother. His father was smiling, something Scorpius did not see him often do.

"Scorpius, I am very proud of you. You have turned out to be the much better man than I was."

"Thanks dad," was all Scorpius could say.

The mass congregated to the Hogwarts express, where the baggage of everyone was already loaded and the boarding began. Scorpius was herded into the train for the final time, and his parents would be sitting with him, depriving him of one last opportunity to see that fiery haired girl that had had his heart for several years now.

Draco and his mother both talked with him for long lengths about how his final year had been. Scorpius had nothing really besides the long days, extensive exams and classes, as well as finding love with Rose Weasley, though he tended to omit that piece of information. Draco kept his arm around his shoulder the whole time, and Scorpius did not mind that actually, for he really had missed his father. But he could have all the time he needed with him later. What he really wanted was to say good-bye to the girl whom his heart belonged to at the moment.

Finally the train arrived at King's Cross. The train slowly unloaded, the students knowing full well that this might be the last moment that they would see many of their classmates. The tears were flowing freely, and exchanges of camaraderie affection was everywhere. Rose was embracing several students from Gryffindor, and Scorpius could not help but shake a few hands and give some man hugs as he made his way toward her.

She saw him there and glanced at her parents, who were talking with Harry Potter and some other old friends. Then she lanced behind her and signaled for Scorpius to follow her. He did.

She led him to an area concealed from the general view. There was not a soul around, everyone being at the entrance to the platform. She spun around as soon as they were out of sight, and captured his lips in one motion. Scorpius may not have expected this sudden burst of love, but her reacted quickly, throwing his arms around her and kissing back as hard as he could. They remained like this for a moment, lovingly tracing each others lips, Rose having tears in her eyes. She had been crying a lot the past few days, and while Scorpius would be damned if he allowed tears to show, his heart was heavier than he ever thought possible.

Rose broke off and they looked each other in the eye.

"Rose," Scorpius said. "I promise that I will do anything, _anything_, to see that we see each other. As often as possible.

Rose smiled, that loving smile he would die for.

"I'd like that."

"Do your parent's read your mail?"

"No."

"Good. I can send messages at night, after regular hours. With any luck, they'd never see them. Do they allow you out of the house?"

"Well, at reasonable times."

"All right. I may be able to get away from my father, make little white lies to go away fro a bit."

'Scorpius."

"Yes?"

Rose slowly pushed back a few red hairs, and bit her lip in thought for a moment.

"Do you really think this would be a good idea? To lie to our parents about all this? I am sure that if we just admit that we love each other..."

Scorpius sighed. Rose could be very persuasive. But he was sure of what needed to be done.

"Rose, I promise that we will eventually tell our parents. I'll tell my father soon myself. And he can accept it and move on...or to hell with him..."

"Scorpius, that's a bit harsh."

"I don't care. I love you Rose. And if he will not accept it, then I will walk right out the door."

Rose stared at him again, seemingly lost in thought once more about what he had just said. Then leaned forward and kissed him again. Scorpius returned the favor.

"We need to go now..." He said, his heart straining under the emotions running through him.

"Yeah..."

"Go ahead, I'll stay here for a minute so no one gets wind."

She stepped away and slowly began to walk away, turning to look at him one last time.

"I love you..." She whispered, barely audible.

Scorpius gave a single nod, and she was gone. Just like that back to her family. Scorpius did as he said and waited that minute, before walking out to rejoin his own parents. With any luck, he would see those brown eyes once more.

They apparated home, and Scorpius walked back to his room, where he had not been for some months. He sat on his bed for a moment, and then stood up to go to the window, staring out at the landscape around the manor. The sun was setting, and he stared at it, in wonder of it's beuty, and seeing her face within it...

-**Rose**-

They had arrived home, and Ron and Hermione were still congratulating her on graduating.

"And to think, she had a much easier time of it then we did!"

"That is true indeed," her mother replied.

Ron leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek for the hundredth time. But her mind was not on that.

"We are so proud of you sweetie."

"Yeah dad, so am I."

Her mother did not seem as unaware of her mood than her father. That was to be expected though.

"Rose, you've acted really distant this whole time. Is something wrong?"

Snapped out of her thoughts, she shook her head and looked at her mother.

"Huh? Did you say something mum?"

"Rose something is up. You don't seem excited to be finally done with Hogwarts at all."

"Oh, but I am mum! I really am. I'm just tired, that's all."

Hermione looked at her daughter in thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"All right then. Dinner will be ready soon."

Rose trudged up the stairs to her room. She opened the door and walked in, the room rather basic, not at all girlish looking. She walked over to her window and peered out at the neighborhood in which they lived, and the occasional walked passing by. Then she sat down on her bed, looking around at nothing.

Why...

Why did she love him. There was nothing drawing them together that she could see, or physically manipulate. In fact, the two should have been enemies the first moment they saw each other. And yet for several years now, or maybe ever since the hat had actually put him within Gryffindor, she had felt a bond with him, before they had even spoke to each other. She was a Weasley. Her family would be labeled as "blood-traitors" by the former death eaters. But Scorpius never once showed any of the tendencies that she had heard his father would do. In fact, he had gone out of his way several times to help students of other houses, besides the help he gave those of his own house. Even Slytherin students had been able to receive his aid.

She had read that opposites attracted the other, for some reason. It was against the laws of nature itself that she would love someone whose family was against everything that her parents were for, what they had fought and risked their lives for. But Scorpius simply never showed any of the dark qualities that his forefathers reveled in.

To deny any of that would be to deny nature, but it would also deny her heart. And love was not logical. Love could not be explained away or solved. It was a force, an extremely powerful one, one that was without equal in the world. love had toppled Lord Voldermort over a decade and a galf ago, and it would be as powerful as ever a thousand years from now.

She remained in her room, doing nothing at all. Not turning on the television she had, not playing any music, not doing anything one would expect a teenage girl to do. She only mused on that fact, that she loved Scorpius Malfoy, until her name was called and she joined her family for dinner for the first time in months.

She ate it quietly, and ignored the concerned looks of her parents. Hugo would arrive home in several weeks, as the regular students would come home a little ways after the graduates. Her mind kept seeing Scorpius fir that final time, and she hoped that they would see each other again soon...

-**Scorpius, several days later**-

He was dueling. Well, not really dueling, but just practice dueling. His father was firing off random hexes and curses, nothing that would be too lethal if they connected, and working on Scorpius getting his reaction time down. Scorpius found that he loved dueling. The speed and adrenaline was addictive, and the pleasure of defeating your opponent was incredible.

He sent a reflected curse back toward his father, and his father was not expecting such a move. He was thrown back several feet, and immediately stopped his attack. He bent over and began to convulse. Scorpius panicked and thought he might have seriously inured his father.

"Mom!" He called.

His mother burst in, just as father opened his mouth and a disgusting, slimy slug dropped out. Scorpius cringed at the sight and felt his own stomach convulse. he had seen some pretty gross things at Hogwarts, but seeing somebody throw up a slug was something he wanted to see at all. Draco looked up and tried to say something, but when he opened his mouth, yet another slug dropped. Mother ran over and knelt next to him, and then let out a heart laugh.

"Maybe you should have thought twice before casting that slug-curse!" She said between laughter. His father tried to respond, but only resulted in yet another slug on the ground.

Scorpius was relived that his father was unhurt, except for the incredible grossness. He leaned back as his mother helped her husband to the living room, a bucket fetched by an elf having been brought over to him. Scorpius couldn't deny himself a chuckle at his father's predicament, as it was honestly funny to see the powerful Draco Malfoy hunched over vomiting up slugs. But now that they were alone, he decided to deliberate a little more on a plan he had concocted several hours ago.

His father had said that he would be able now to go to anywhere he wished, provided he told them he was going out and it was at a reasonable time. All he asked was for him to be careful and not get into trouble with the law, as Harry Potter was now an Auror, and he would hate to get him from the Auror office from his ex-enemy.

He would write to Rose tonight, and ask if she could ask her parents about letting her go by herself to Diagon Alley for a while in the future. They could meet there and think up another way to continue to meet. He felt that if he did not lay eyes upon her again soon, he would rot inside. it had only been a few days since graduation, but the air felt colder without her there to warm it...


End file.
